Unexpected Bonds
by Tannacat
Summary: The war for the Clow Cards erupts between the Kinomoto and Li kingdoms, and Sakura and Syaoran are trapped in the middle of it. During a surprise attack on Tokyo, Princess Sakura is captured and taken to Beijing, but through an act of kindness, Prince Syaoran is the only one who believes she is innocent and Sakura is forced to cooperate with him if she wants to return home.


**(a/n:) Hey you beautiful reader! Yes! You! Thank you so much for clicking on this story of mine! Oh, I will give you the full summary here: **

_**The war for the Clow Cards erupts between the Kinomoto and Li kingdoms, and Sakura and Syaoran are trapped in the middle of it. During a surprise attack on Tokyo, Princess Sakura is captured and taken to Beijing, but through an act of kindness, Prince Syaoran is the only one who believes she is innocent and Sakura is forced to cooperate with him if she wants to return home. She is a stubborn happy-go-lucky princess who helps everyone but herself. He is a cold, selfish prince who vows to protect everything precious to him. Of course, these two don't see eye to eye at first, but through a series of events, a forbidden love is formed, one that may lead to the destruction of both of their kingdoms.**_

**So yeah, that's basically it.**

**Happy reading! I hope you enjoy!**

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Eight-year old Prince Syaoran of the Li Clan, distant descendant from Clow and successor of the King, his father, Kuan-yin Li, glared menacingly at his younger cousin Meiling, who was triumphantly holding a dark gray plush bear tightly in her arms, a confident smirk plastered on her face.

"Meiling. Give me the bear." Syaoran growled in a warning tone, his small arm stretching out to the grinning Chinese girl.

With a mischievous giggle, Meiling slid along the wooden railings which curved around a glorious zen garden, and with an almost effortless leap, the black-haired girl gracefully landed on a smooth rock, jutted out from the plateau of the sand garden, she stood unfazed with the matching self-assured smirk she had on before.

"But Syaoran!" Meiling whined, "I thought this was your engagement present to me!"

Syaoran's glare deepened, "Meiling, mother helped me make that bear, it's important to me, there's no way I'm giving it to anyone!" Syaoran stepped his foot at the edge of the zen garden.

"No, no, Syaoran, we mustn't touch the sand garden," Meilin wagged her finger, "You don't want Auntie Yelan to become angry with you, for destroying the gardener's hard work, now do you?" With a growl, Syaoran took a step back from the sand garden, eyeing his surroundings, searching for rock that was near Meiling.

Syaoran spotted a convenient flat one as Meiling continued on, announcing her plans for a future wedding. Syaoran crouched his body and focused on the rock, he hadn't been practicing his leaps as much as Meiling did, he was much more busy enhancing his martial art skills with his jian, and he was on his way on becoming an excellent swordsman.

With a small but audible huff, Syaoran hoisted himself over the wooden railings and leaped with all the strength that he had, glaring deep into the shocked red ruby eyes of a surprised Meiling, a tiny curve of a smirk was beginning to form on his face. Just before he could reach the flat rock that was near Meiling, Syaoran felt himself beginning to fall.

With an annoyed grunt, Syaoran shifted his body, if he was going to fall and ruin the sand garden, he might as well fall on Meiling and have her mess up the garden instead.

Meiling's surprised face changed to horror and before she could escape, Syaoran collided into her side, and she fell onto the sandy landscape with a ear-piercing shriek, sand and bits of tiny rocks flew everywhere as Syaoran and Meiling slid across the yard. When they had finally stopped sliding, Meiling was covered in dust and dirt and Syaoran was uncomfortably lying across Meiling's stomach.

With a loud sniff, Meiling began to wail, "Syaoran! Get off my stomach!"

Syaoran widened his eyes and quickly stood up, hastily brushing off bits of dust from his green tunic and wildly looked around for his bear in the thick settling dust. Where was the bear?

More importantly, where was Meiling?

Syaoran quickly spun around, his dangerous amber eyes were searching the ruined garden.

"Ohohohoho! Looking for this?"

Syaoran turned his body to the mocking voice, to see a giggling Meiling standing on the garden's wooden railings, balancing his precious plush bear on her head.

"Ooh, naughty Syaoran, you've ruined the zen garden." Meiling giggled mischieviously, "Give it up Syaoran, this bear is good as mine, I'm going to tie a ribbon around it, name it after myself and tell everyone that-hey!"

"My, my, this is quite a mess you've made, Xiao-Lang." A deep, stern, but gentle voice floated throughout the air. A tall man, dressed in red regal robes stared down at a guilty-looking Syaoran and a nervous Meiling with the gray plush bear resting in his right arm.

"Father!"

"Uncle Kuan-yin!"

Syaoran and Meiling shouted at the same time.

Feeling guilty and angry, Syaoran ran across the dusty yard and marched up to his father, he looked into his father's tired old eyes with a determined look, but was almost intimidated by the stern look Kuan-yin gave him. With a straight back, Syaoran opened his mouth and went on defensive.

"Father, it is my right to believe that Meiling is to be blamed for the destruction of Mother's beloved zen garden-" Syaoran paused as Meiling screeched a "WHAT?!"

"-For she is responsible of stealing my precious bear , the one that Mother helped me make, and provoking me to take matters into my own hands, rather than telling a responsible adult, which I apologize for, furthermore I-"

"Oh wǒ de shen... Wǒ de huāyuán! XIAO-LANG! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

With a horrified look, Syaoran shakily turned to face his steaming mother, "M-Mother, I can explain." An amused smile graced Kuan-yin's features.

Yelan Li quickly composed herself, sending Syaoran a quick stern look before giving Meiling a calm, endearing, yet creepy smile, "My dear Meiling, you may go wash up before you leave and please, take a gao from the dining room with you on your way out, it was wonderful having you here." Meiling bowed nervously and mumbled a "thank you" before spinning on her heel and running towards a wooden building, secretly sticking her tongue out at a Syaoran before opening the wooden door and going inside.

"Xiao-Lang." Syaoran jumped slightly at his name, "Y-Yes, mother?" Yelan's smile dropped and with it, a fierce, icy look replaced, causing Syaoran to shiver, "Go wash up as well, we will discuss this little _dilemma _in your father's office after your return."

Syaoran nodded stiffly, he quickly bowed and ran out of the clearing in fast robotic strides, feeling the fierce gaze of his mother on his back.

After watching Syaoran disappear behind a wall, Yelan took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down and she quickly flapped open her fan to hide her face, "His behavior needs to improve, look at the destruction he has caused, all of this for his plush bear! It's unbelievable." Kuan-yin chuckled softly, "This just proves that he will do anything to protect the things that are precious to him," Kuan-yin raised his arm toward the destroyed garden, "He will even destroy a land, and put the ones he loves in possible danger."

"That will not be a valuable instinct to have in the future." Yelan spoke in a worried tone, "He will do anything to protect the things that are precious to him…" She repeated, fear glazing in her dark black eyes. Kuan-yin nodded solemnly, "If he continues to act like this, dire consequences will be paid and the time for Keroberos to select the new Cardcaptor is drawing near, two years time, I do hope that the guardian pick my Xiao-Lang, for he is a distant descendant from Clow, with luck he will make the correct choices soon, for I fear that I am becoming to old and I will not live long to see my kingdom prosper under my son's name."

Almost afraid to ask, Yelan spoke up quietly, "Kuan-yin, what will you do if Keroberos does not choose Xiao-Lang to become the next Cardcaptor?" She questioned, staring into the dark amber eyes of her husband, who said nothing but he held a sad smile upon his face.

Yelan placed a kind hand on Kuan-yin's cheek, "Kuan-yin, tell me, what will you do if Xiao-Lang is not chosen as the new Cardcaptor?" Fear was now blazing in her eyes.

Kuan-yin turned his head away from Yelan's pleading eyes, "We should be on our way now," He spoke solemnly, averting his dark amber eyes away from his wife, "Xiao-Lang will be waiting for you." With that spoken, Kuan-yin turned on his heel and walked away from Yelan, his long red robes were trailing after him.

Yelan clenched her fists and glared down at the ground.

Softly, she whispered, "What are you planning, Kuan-yin?"

Syaoran quickly hid behind the corner of a wooden building as Yelan walked into the West Wing of the palace, he emerged from his hiding place as soon as his mother disappeared behind the wooden door. Syaoran clenched his teeth, and gripped the edge of his green tunic tightly, a new Cardcaptor? He had heard stories of Keroberos and the Clow Cards from the servants in the palace but his parents never mentioned _this_ to him, what _was _his father planning?

Syaoran leaned his back against the wooden wall lost in his thoughts, whatever it was, he planned to train his magic abilities and his martial art skills to the ultimate fullest in order to prepare to become the new Cardcaptor, Syaoran vowed to collect all 52 Clow Cards when he is chosen.

Gripping his fists, Syaoran ran up the stairway to the East Wing building and sprinted down the long corridor of rooms, dodging one or two servants here and there, determined to reach his room.

Syaoran splashed water in his face and looked into the clear mirror of his bathroom, wincing, he rubbed at a red scratch on his cheek. With a deep sigh, he rubbed his face into a white towel, Syaoran thought of all the possible situations to avoid the talk from his mother. He could...release the hummingbirds from the royal garden into the ballroom, Syaoran winced, that would obviously put the blame on him. After thinking for awhile, Syaoran came to the responsible conclusion that he was going to face his mother sooner or later and Syaoran preferred that he do it sooner.

Looking and feeling incredibly guilty, Syaoran refused to look at his mother in her eyes, too ashamed of himself to look at her. Yelan stared at Syaoran with a slight hint of impatientness, and disappointment in her dark eyes.

"Xiao-Lang, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Syaoran bowed his head, staring at his brown shoes, "I do apologize for my destructiveness, but I believe that Meiling is to be at fault for the destruction of your zen garden."

"Oh?" Yelan's voice full of disbelief, "And how have you come to such a theory?" She asked, her black eyes hardening.

"Meiling had stolen my plush bear," Syaoran began nervously, his head still facing the floor, "The bear that you helped me make, mother," Yelan's eyes widened as Syaoran continued, "You have never given me anything handmade before, so it is one of my most precious of objects."

"So when Meiling stole the bear from me, she provoked me to take my bear back by force, it was not in my place or plan to destroy your garden, I humbly apologize." Syaoran spoke quietly.

A small smile graced Yelan's lips and she walked over and bent down to Syaoran, who visibly stiffened, "Xiao-Lang, raise your head." She whispered gently. Slowly but surely, Syaoran raised his head with an apologetic look on his face, too nervous to look in the dark eyes of his own mother. Yelan laughed softly and gently stroked Syaoran's chestnut brown hair.

"Oh Xiao-Lang, my only son, did you not politely ask Meiling to return your bear?" Yelan spoke with a slight amusement in her voice, Syaoran flushed nervously and played with his fingers, "I-I tried to! But she said that it was a- that it was a…." Syaoran trailed off, staring down at his shoes again.

"That it was a…What? What did she say it was?" Yelan pressed, refraining from laughing on how cute Syaoran looked at the moment. Syaoran blinked, glancing at his mother before staring down at his shoes. "An engagement present…"

At this point, Yelan let out a loud, yet kind and mature laugh, "Meiling is taking your engagement too seriously." She smiled, and Syaoran flushed harder, "That is not all, she began to explain her wedding plans to me!"

With that statement, Yelan burst into another fit of laughter, and she flapped open her fan to hide her face as Syaoran gave his mother a confused bewildered look, before he could say anything, two loud knocks resounded on the wooden door. Yelan recovered from her fit of laughter and tried her best to compose herself, "Y-You may come in." Yelan spoke, with a small snicker at the end of her sentence.

The wooden door opened, and Kuan-yin's face popped out from the door, "My, my, from the bounds of laughter I heard coming from this room, can I assume that Syaoran's dilemma has been discussed?" Kuan-yin smiled. Yelan nodded, finally composed as her original, serious, regal self, one may have not known that she had been dying of laughter just a few moments ago.

"Yes, I believe we have covered mostly everything-oh! Xiao-Lang, be sure to apologize to the gardener and Meiling as soon as possible, your father and I will discuss the details of your punishment later," Syaoran inwardly groaned, but kept a calm portrait, "Yes mother," He bowed respectively.

Yelan then stood up and snapped her fan closed, "Now, I will be taking my leave, Xiao-Lang, your father wishes to have a talk with you before you can come to the dinner table, if you will excuse me." Yelan took a quick bow and exited the office through the wooden door. A quiet, muffled giggle, erupted from the other side of the door and as soon as Syaoran heard Yelan's footsteps fading away, he dropped his straight shoulders and took a deep breath, almost forgetting that his father was still in the room.

"Xiao-Lang." Kuan-yin spoke, his deep, strong voice filled the silent room, Syaoran stiffened and quickly spun around to quickly bow to his father. Kuan-yin waved his hand, "Enough of that, you always look at your superiors straight in the eyes when spoken to, Xiao-Lang." Syaoran raised his head, "I am sorry father."

Kuan-yin's dark eyes softened and slowly, he walked over to Syaoran, who swallowed nervously, his father's figure was towering over him, tallness was all to be expected of a great king. "Regarding to today's events, I'd like to talk about something," Kuan-yin, noticed how tense Syaoran was, "Do not worry, you are not going to be punished…." Syaoran relaxed a little,

"...severely…"

Syaoran dropped his shoulders with a tired sigh, but maintained eye contact with his father, who held a calm face, "Now, I am sure you want this back in your possession." Kuan-yin had produced a gray plush bear from the long folds of his red sleeves. Syaoran's face visibly brightened but he remained rooted in his position. "Yes father, I would like that bear returned to me."

Kuan-yin nodded slowly, "But first," Syaoran stiffened once more, fearing on what his father would say next, "I would like to talk about today's events," Syaoran eyes hardened, hadn't he already explained this? "May I just ask, why did you not take your bear back from Meiling by force?"

Syaoran blinked, confused with his father's question, noticing Syaoran's befuddled expression, Kuan-yin continued, "The bear is precious to you correct?" Syaoran nodded, unsure of his father's intentions, his mother was in the right to be suspicious of his father.

"Is it not correct to take back what has been stolen from you? It was originally in your possession is that wrong?" The memory of his parent's conversation from earlier flashed in his mind and Syaoran's eyes widened, "Why did you not take the bear from Meiling using force?" Kuan-yin's voice snapped Syaoran from his thoughts.

"M-Meiling would have gotten hurt and-" Syaoran began, fearfully taking a step away from his father's desk, inching closer to the exit of the office, he had to find his mother quick.

"I fear that is the only way we can retrieve things that rightfully belonged to us, there is no point in peaceful talk." Kuan-yin stood from his desk, and walked over to Syaoran, who shrunk back in fear, his father's dark amber eyes held a mixture of fierce emotion. "You are too young, someday you will learn Xiao-Lang."

Syaoran jumped in surprise as the plush bear gently fell into his arms.

"Leave."

With a quick bow, Syaoran walked briskly over to the wooden door of his father's office, threw open the door, and ran down the long hallway as fast as he could, clutching the plush bear in his arms tightly, a tear threatened to roll down his face as Syaoran desperately searched for his mother.

Syaoran's eyes filled with relief when he spotted Yelan tending to Fuutie, one of his four sisters, who was crying about an ex-boyfriend. Syaoran practically tackled his mother with a tight hug, "Xiao-Lang!" Yelan laughed in surprise, "It looks like I have to tend to two crybabies tonight, come on, let us join the family at the dinner table!" Yelan spoke with a smile in her voice.

As the Li family sat at the long table, patiently waiting for their food and the head father to arrive at the table, Kuan-yin was still left in his office, staring down at a red book on his wooden desk.

"Someday, Xiao-Lang, you will understand…"

Kuan-yin brushed his fingers over the book, "Master Kuan-yin." A servant was knocking on the door to his office, "Yes?" He asked, his dark eyes refusing to leave the book, "Dinner is ready and your family is waiting for you." The servant replied, a slight fear was hidden in her voice. "Tell them that I will arrive there soon."

"Yes Master Kuan-yin." Silence then a rapid shuffling of footsteps hurried across the carpet was heard.

Kuan-yin breathed deeply and stood up straight, his hands left the book to straighten out his robes and the title of the book was uncovered.

_THE CLOW_

Kuan-yin smirked to himself, "Clow Reed…" Was all he said, before turning off the light in his office and closing the door, locking it with a silver key.

As soon as Kuan-yin turned the corner of the hallway, a servant boy popped his head out of a nearby closet, peering down the long hallways through wide-rimmed spectacles. Smirking mischieviously, the boy ran a hand through his unruly navy-colored hair and carefully stepped onto the red carpet.

The boy then made his way over to Kuan-yin's office, once more, he looked down the hallways to see if anyone was watching him, the hallways were surprisingly empty, he assumed all the servants were attending to the royal family in the dining room. With a smirk, the boy lifted his hand and hovered his palm over the lock on the door and his hand began to glow a dark red.

Hearing a satisfying click, the boy quickly darted into the office, gently closed the door and flicked the lights on.

There, sitting in the middle of a wooden desk, was the object of his desire.

The boy walked over to the desk and picked _THE CLOW_ up into his hands, his smirk widened and he stroked his glowing red hand over the front of the book, "Good," He whispered, "Keroberos has not been awakened yet."

With a mischievous chuckle, the boy tucked the book into his right arm.

"I've finally found you."

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**(a/n) Hi there again! If you managed to read through this entire chapter without gagging on all of the useless cliches I've placed in this story, I give you my at most thanks.**

**So?**

**How was my first chapter?**

**Boring? Predictable? Or just plain out awesomely amazing and interesting?!**

**Nah, I don't think it's that interesting. _Right now_, of course.**

**Just to warn you, (if you're planning to follow this fan work) this story is going to go by slow, I am going to try and put EVERY LITTLE detail I possibly can into this story, also a BIG WARNING...I am completely DREADFUL at updating, but, if people are that interested, I will try to update at least once every week, I've got a life too ya'know?**

**Anyway, about reviewing, I DO NOT mind flame reviews, I actually welcome them, as long as they are about the story and they aren't TOO mean, I welcome flames because honestly, I need all the help I can get, this is not my first fanfic but hey, that's what reviewing is for right? I am not saying that you should flame me on every little mistake I make, I mean, I'm writing this at 3 in the morning, OF COURSE it's going to have mistakes. **

**Expressing your opinions whether they are good or bad about the author's story is good, the good reviews boost the author's motivation and confidence, bad reviews helps them reflect on what they did wrong and how they can fix the mistake.**

***sighs deeply***

**Well, thanks for reading this! I can assume you read the story if you've come to the ending author's note and that makes me so happy, you have no idea**

***squee***

**I'll see you in my next chapter!**

**-Tannacat**

**Oh and by the way, when Yelan says: "Oh wǒ de shen... Wǒ de huāyuán!" She is saying, "Oh my gods...my garden!"**


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